Day and Night (Chasefield AU)
by starryskye169
Summary: Arcadia is a town full of strange supernatural happenings, and everyone has a secret. Victoria doesn't want to give into her feelings for Max, but the more time she spends helping Max, the more she feels that they could be together. Max isn't sure exactly why Victoria has been so nice to her, but she's determined to find out. (Set in an alternate version of my universe)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Max." The figure in front of me says. "Hey, Max. Are you okay? Are you hurt?". Past the figure is blue tile, dirty mirrors, and off-white sinks.

I hear a man say, "She was hurt pretty bad," He walks over to the sink, "yeah, we've arrested Nathan Prescott. The girl is on the way to the hospital, ambulance arrived a bit ago. I should be coming back pretty soon." I hear his footsteps on the cold tile and a tinny voice on his phone, "Apparently she saw Chloe Price get shot, then ran inside the school to the bathroom. She's been there since we arrived." He pauses.

"No, I don't think she'll be able to give us any information. Jesus Barret, the girl just saw her friend get shot, she'll be lucky if she doesn't need years of therapy." I can hear him pacing back and forth, "I understand, I'll get someone to take care of her. Okay. Bye."

More footsteps echoing on butterfly blue tile. "Hi, I'm officer Jeremy Briggs. Do you know her parents phone number?" The man in blue says to the girl in front of me.

I feel hazy and pulled back into the dark depths of my head. Like my eyes are holes in a mask and I'm seeing the black edges of the mask. I barely begin to register that the girl in front of me is touching my arm. My eyes move of their own accord to the highlights in her blonde hair.

I hear her say, "No, I don't really know her that well. I'm pretty sure she just moved here though."

"Hey, it's Maxine right?" He scratches his arm.

I want to say something but I can't seem to. The words form in my head but just don't fully translate to speech.

"Do you know your parents phone number?" Jeremy says slowly. I still can't speak. He looks over at the blonde next to him and asks, "Did her parents move here as well?"

"Um...", she furrows her eyebrows, "I don't think so, I vaguely remember that she said she moved here alone when she introduced herself to the class."

"Well uh-" Jeremy gestures as though missing the girls name.

"Victoria."

"Victoria. Thank you for your help. Could you make sure Maxine is okay? Maybe find someone who knows her parents phone number and get them to call me." Officer Jeremy pulls out a notebook and scrawls on it. He tears it out and hands it to Victoria.

The officer leaves. Victoria sits with me in the corner of the bathroom. Her arm is around me but I barely feel it. "Hey, I know what it's like. I've seen things that I'd never be able to tell anyone. They just wouldn't understand." she says.

I look over at her, and I feel like she really does understand from the look she gives me. Her bright green eyes betray a deep sadness, though she smiles.

Victoria begins to sing softly,

"So wake me up when it's all over,

when I'm wiser and I'm older.

All this time I was finding myself and I,

didn't know I was lost.

So wake me up when it's all over,

when I'm wiser and I'm older.

All this time I was finding myself and I,

didn't know I was lost."

Time passes, I don't know how much, but I start to feel present. It feels like her arm has gained more weight. I smell her sweat mixed with sweet vanilla. Everything seems clearer and more focused like a tilted lens.

I feel embarrassed to be so close to her. My heartbeat increases, my stomach swirls. No this is wrong. Chloe is dead, I shouldn't be allowed to feel like this, but still I feel it. I feel safe, protected, and cared about. I hug her and she is unsure of what to do, so she simply wraps her arms around me.

To me this is such a strange thing. Victoria Chase is not my friend. She is most definitely not even an acquaintance. Victoria is my enemy. Since I moved here she has relentlessly teased me about everything. My appearance, my clothing, my interests, and my photographs. All of these things have been insulted and picked apart by her. I can't even begin to comprehend why she is being so nice to me now.

I feel her phone buzz in her pocket. Once, twice, five times. She rubs my back lightly and I let go of her. She takes her phone out and taps it several times.

"Shit. It's Taylor." Victoria says. She taps out a rhythm with her fingers. It's almost soothing, anything other than what just happened is soothing.

Victoria looks over at me, "Hey, I'm going to take you to your dorm, then I have to go do some things. Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah. Thank you." I say feeling my face heat up.

Maybe Chloe's still okay. I mean I hear the police officer say that they brought her to the hospital. I stare at the ceiling of my room. I pick at the blanket on top of me. Anything to avoid thinking about the fact that Chloe was shot by Nathan.

Maybe I should phone the hospital or go there. I don't know. I asked Victoria about Chloe and she didn't really say much. I haven't talked to her since I moved away. Ugh, I feel awful. I'm sweaty all over and my muscles feel achy. There are too many questions I need answers to. So I lay on my bed in my room because Victoria said she would be back later.

For now school has been cancelled. Most of the students have been taken back to their parents homes because families are worried. I'm only here because my parents don't live in the same postal code. I still don't know what to think of her. She tried to comfort me, but why? Maybe so she could spread rumours later about me.

I think of Victoria and being close to her. My heart races as I remember the way she smells. Her singing so calm and clear. I imagine moving closer to her, for a kiss. There is no way I have a crush on her.

I hear a knock at my door. It's probably Victoria.

I get up and quickly fix my appearance in the mirror on my wall. The knocking continues, it's light and barely audible. I open the door and Kate is standing there.

"Hey Kate. Sorry, I forgot to have tea with you today." I say to her. She's holding a basket of chocolates and cookies.

Kate looks like she hasn't been crying lately. That's good at least. I was worried about Victoria bullying her but maybe she's stopped. "Hi Max," she closes her eyes and smiles, "don't worry about having tea with me, we can do it some other time." Kate holds the basket up, "I brought these for you. I was worried about you, are you okay?"

I wipe sleep sand from my eyes. "Yeah, just a little sleepy. Come in," I say stepping aside, "thanks for the basket."

I sit down on the couch beside her. "I'm surprised you're still here, I figured you would go home."

"I'm here because my parents don't live in Arcadia. They got security to guard the dorms. I don't know why, it isn't like Nathan's going to come back." Kate says.

"M-My...My parents-" I stutter and an image of Nathan with a gun flashes in my mind. I try to shake the image but it slowly envelops my vision. It's like I'm back in the alley. I want to help her but I can't. I don't know what to do. I wish I could stop it from happening. The gun goes off and I hear Chloe slide to the ground and say, "Oh my god, you actually shot me." Then I leave her. I left her. Why?

"Max. Max are you okay?" I hear Victoria's voice. I come to realize that it's actually Kate speaking. I feel her hug me and rub my back. "I can stay if you want."

"It's fine." I hug Kate back. "Victoria should be back in awhile to check on me." Every word has such weight, because it takes so much to even speak.

I'm sweating again. I feel that fog in my brain, almost lighter this time than before. My muscles are tense again and wow do they ever hurt. I wish Victoria was here; even though I can't believe I would ever want her to be here. I just wish she was.

"I'll go make you some tea." Kate gets up. She brings me a blanket, carefully draping it over me, and then leaves.

Kate comes back with a large pot of tea and some biscuits. We drink our tea. Kate asks which movie I want to watch, I can only mumble. She picks "Before Sunrise", a movie that is largely made up of two people walking through Vienna. It's basically porn for artists and directors; food porn would be in a similar category. We watch the movie and she makes comments about it. I respond a couple times to her questions about the references the characters make about classical literature. I can't keep my eyes open so I rest them, just for a minute. Is this what it feels like to die?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 (Friday)-

Yesterday was pretty much a nothing day. I didn't even see Victoria, she said she was tied up with her family. I can't help but think she's avoiding me. I don't know why. I just think it's weird that she never came over to check on me Wednesday night. I take a look around my room for my phone. Everything has been a mess since Wednesday, I just haven't really felt up to cleaning. Maybe I forgot my phone in the cafeteria. I open a few desk drawers and shuffle everything around. I pick up a hamburger wrapper and toss it aside.

Aha! I pick up my phone and start sending a message to Victoria, _Hey, I hope you're doing well. I don't mean to bother you but do you know when the assignment on greyscale photography is due?_ I don't really care what we talk about, I just need to know that she doesn't hate me.

Yesterday after classes, Principal Wells called me into his office to talk to him. He offered his condolences for Chloe, but honestly I just didn't want to think anymore about what happened. I wouldn't be surprised if Principal Wells thought she was a drop out good for nothing. He wanted me to go to the school psychologist. Clearly the Principal thinks I'm going crazy. So I have an appointment with the psych on tuesday next week. I did go to the counsellor. I thought the lady would be some kind of weed smoking college dropout. Surprisingly she was really good, we talked about a lot of things. We talked about what happened to Chloe. I think I might go back to her, she's really nice.

I roll around on my bed. What to do? Bored, bored, I'm so bored. Maybe I should draw something, after all I haven't drawn since last week. If I don't draw soon I'm going to get rusty. I find my letter-carrier style bag on the floor next to my bed and ruffle through the things in it. Pens, my drawing book, and a ruler. The only problem is I'm not quite sure what to draw. Maybe something cute. I make comic style boxes, then I start to roughly sketch the shapes of heads and bodies. The comic is about two characters talking and then near the end they kiss.

My phone buzzes. I look at it to find one text from Victoria, _Do I look like your personal reminder assistant or something? FYI the assignment is due monday._

Wow, that's definitely not the response I expected. Maybe she does hate me. Just then I get another text from her, _I could give you a few pointers on greyscale and proper lighting. After all I am top of the class and it would be a mistake to refuse my offer._

I text her back with, _That would be awesome! When is a good time for you to hang out?_

Victoria replies much more promply than I expected, I drop my pen after capping it and unlock my phone. _I think today would work, we could hang out in your room._ Another text appears below it, _You'd better take me seriously Caulfield!_

What is up with this girl? Is she like bipolar...no, bipolar is a mood disorder, this is something different. It's like she's overcompensating for something. I still don't know why she was avoiding me, now she wants to give me tips? I finish my drawing and oddly enough one of the characters is a short haired blonde girl kissing an brunette with medium length hair. It's like I made a freudian slip in the form of a comic.

I can't give any hints to Max that I like her. It just wouldn't work out. I'm such an idiot for typing "hang out" in my last text message. I look around at my room. A bunch of framed posters hang on the wall, my prized poster is an original dracula movie poster. The couch in my room isn't for sitting, it's hard, and aesthetically pleasing. I would say I liked it if anyone ever asked, but honestly what do I want with a couch I can't sit on. What would I want with a girl I could never be with openly? Besides it isn't like most lesbian relationships can last, most are just flings that married women have. I hope the last part of my text deterred Maxine of any hope I like her. Even in a friendly way.

I check my phone for messages just in case it didn't buzz, yep sure enough, Maxine wants to hang out with me still. Why do I do this to myself? Do I want to get hurt? Maybe I have some kind of fetish for fucking up my own perfect life. After all it isn't like I don't have everything I already want. I can buy anything I want. I can go anywhere I wish. But I can't be with Max.

I check my appearance several times before leaving just to make sure my makeup is perfect, and my hair isn't out of place. I bring my camera, my photography textbook, and my purse just in case I need to fake going to the bathroom for a makeup touch up. I walk to Maxine's room and knock on her door. I wait. I wait some more. God why do I feel so nervous? It's just Maxine fucking Caulfield. Okay, don't fuck this up by doing something like touching her arm...or kissing her. Fuck definitely not that. It could only end in heartbreak for so many fucking reasons.

Max answers the door, her hair is all over the fucking place. She probably just took a shower, she didn't even properly dry her hair. "Hey, um, come in I was just browsing the internet for tips on greyscale photography." How does she even manage to pull this off? I would get socially murdered for something as minor as a zit. I feel jealous.

I look at her, a smile creeps up on my face. I try to hide it and force my face into a cold stare. Default bitch face, not to be confused for accidental bitch face also known as resting bitch face. "Sure." I say. Maybe the ambiguity of my words and expression will hide my previous smile.

I walk into her room and notice that there are junkfood wrappers strewn all over. I can't really blame her though, after what she saw she deserves a break. "Um, ew." I say picking a wrapper up off the couch and tossing it to the side. I take a seat. It's much more comfy than the couch I have. I look over at her and say, "So how are you?"

"I'm okay, honestly though I would prefer to not talk about wednesday. I'm dealing, and I talked to my parents yesterday." Maxine says. I can't help but remember Alex, my best friend. When she died I didn't know how I would ever recover. She was such a role model to me, I wanted to be her. I don't know if I do anymore, after all it costed Alex her life.

"Hey Victoria...are you okay?" She says. I wonder how long it will take Maxine for it to sink in that Chloe isn't coming back.

I'm pulled back out of my thoughts and reflexively say, "Yeah I'm okay. If you ever need someone to talk to about Ch- your friend, then just ask, I understand." Maybe that was a little too friendly. I guess I am helping her though, so that can't be bad can it? Even if I get enjoyment from hanging out with her. Even if I'm imagining her lips on mine.

"So, what were you going to show me about greyscale?" Maxine asks.

We spend the next hour going over basics. About how greyscale photographs are best for mood lighting and emphasizing texture of objects. I show her some things I've learnt about grayscale though my own experimentation. After all it's the least I can do, she doesn't seem to be doing too well and maybe I can help pull her grades up. Especially after what happened to her friend Chloe. After all I know what it's like to lose someone.

A few times I point to things in her book and accidently touch her hand. She feels warm, and I'm cold. I guess it's fitting really. Most people would say that I don't have a heart, metaphorically speaking. Sometimes I wonder if they're right. Max just smells so good; I wonder what she tastes like. She probably doesn't even like me. After all of the mean things I've done to her. You're stupid Victoria, stop daydreaming about an impossible relationship.

Max tells me she got a message from Warren, he wants to hang out.

"As long as he sits across from us and not on the same couch. That kid is weird." I say.

"Why? He's nice, and he's really smart. Sometimes he helps me with science homework." I feel a pang of jealousy. That loser, really? Max you are so much better than that. Do I tell her the truth?

"Fine, but I'm staying at least five feet away from him at all times." I emphasize the "I'm" to give the impression that I'm not all that concerned with her. After all I don't want to seem attracted to her; plus, telling her what to do is just creepy.

"Why?" She says. I expect her to say more but she's just silent.

I give her a look of revulsion and say, "I've heard really bad things about him. I don't really want to slander him, but he has a history." I don't want to say what I know, it will just hurt her. She probably won't even believe me.

"Please tell me." She's so insistent. Fuck I really opened a can of worms. I might as well just be honest now.

"Warren brags about having sex with drunk girls at parties. I'm just telling you this because I don't think he's as nice as you think he is. I'm worried about you." My voice sounds out of character, I don't usually sound this flustered about anything. But I know how guys can be, one second they are kind and caring, then they are bragging about how "that new hot girl totally blew me".

Maxine stands up defensively. "Where did you hear that from? He would never do that. Warren is nice," She sounds upset, not angry, just disappointed, "and when did you ever care about my well being, you've only ever been mean to me."

"I have my sources, and I'm trying to help you stay safe." I say staring at her. I can't believe I managed to fuck this up.

"Who! Tell me. Because whoever they are they are probably lying. I know Warren and he isn't like that." Maxine sounds frustrated and sad.

"Nathan told me. He said that Warren brags about having sex with girls at parties." I cross my arms and try not to show emotion.

Max walks back and forth, like she's trying to process what I just said. "Nathan Prescott is a liar and a murderer, you can't trust anything he says."

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted to tell you because he's probably going to invite us to a party tonight. I know because Nathan informs me about all of the parties going on. I just don't want you to get pulled into Warren's act." I'm not lying in the slightest. It hurts me to be so honest, to share my thoughts so freely. I feel relieved and honest; I can't remember when I felt like that ever. Just this one conversation, because I care about Max.

"I don't believe you Victoria! Warren just isn't like that, you'd know if you were his friend like I am. P-Please leave," I collect my things quickly and walk through the door she's holding open, "thank you for your photography tips Victoria." She says.

Max believes me, but at the same time she doesn't want to. At least I hope that's the case. Fuck maybe my jealousy is making me act like this. I turn around before she closes the door and say, "I'm sorry, maybe I'm just jealous of Warren. You two seem so close." I'm never so honest about my feelings, especially when it comes to cute girls. I must really like her. I hope I see her again.

Max isn't sure how to react, her mouth is slightly agape. I think she knows that something is up, I'm acting really out of character. "I'm still going to the party." She says. Then she closes the door with enough force that anyone in the vicinity would notice something is up. I'm left standing in the hallway hoping no one is around the corner listening. I'm such a fuck up.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 (Friday Night)

 _Will you still hold me when you see what I have done?_

 _Will you still kiss me the same when you taste my victim's blood?_

 _So crimson and red, I feel it flowing from your lips._

 _My heart is dead and so are you._ -Crimson by Atreyu

We arrive at Sean Prescott's house, home to Nathan Prescott. It's a very large mansion with two floors. Over to the right I see a whole bunch of people in the pool. I get out of Warren's Volkswagen beetle, which without a doubt was a gift from his parents: who are very much hippies. A full moon greets my eyes to the right of the house. The grass has a slick sheen of moisture to it. Just looking at the moon makes my hair raise. I feel almost bestial in its light. For now I'll have to resist its influence.

I'm starting to regret coming to this party, for several reasons. I'm only going because I want to know if Warren is as bad as Victoria says he is. Maybe I can ask him, or maybe his actions will speak for him. I wonder if Victoria came to the party too? Probably not posh enough, but then again this is Sean Prescott's house. I really hope I don't bump into her, it could cause a scene.

"This place is pretty bangin', yeah?" Warren says to me. It takes me a couple seconds to realize he's talking to me.

"Yeah, I guess you could call it that. Just lead me to the booze I guess." I don't really know what I'm supposed to say. I've drank alcohol before with my moms, but never to the point where I really felt much.

Warren grabs my hand as we walk through the front door. It throws me off guard because I have the urge to pull away or hit him. Then I realize he only did it because of the large amount of people I could get lost in. Wow, maybe Victoria's actually wrong about him. Everything is way too noisy though, lights are flashing from a strobe-light set up in a corner of the living room. The house is absolutely huge, and full of people. Are there even this many students at Blackwell?

Warren leads me through a hallway with a lot of doors, each one is pouring light out into the hallway. I really don't want to accidentally peek into one of the rooms so I just look straight ahead. The music is less loud now that we're far away from the front of the house. Warren seems like he really knows the layout of the Prescott's house, has he been here before?

"Hey Warren." I say. He pauses and turns around. "Do you know where we're going?"

"Yeah, I've been here for...parties before, the kitchen should be up ahead and to the right." He says.

"Okay, I was just worried, this place is huge."

He nods and we keep walking down the hallway until we find the kitchen door. Its just as I expected, huge. The kitchen's big enough to host big parties, with enough stoves, utensils, and fridges to feed all of Blackwell Academy. Kegs, wine boxes, and bottles line the counter tops. Warren walks up and starts to look at the labels on each bottle. He pours himself a drink while I stand awkwardly. Why am I here? I'm starting to realize that following Warren around might be more of a chore.

"Hey, do you want anything, I could mix you a drink." Warren says holding up a bottle.

"I think I'll mix my own." I pick up a bottle of tequila that caught my eye earlier. I mix an ounce with some coke. I take a sip and cough.

"Haha, yeah its strong. There's some ice over there, might help water it down." I wonder if he thinks I'm an idiot for picking tequila. I probably am, but I just wanted to try it once. Alcohol tastes a lot better in your head than in reality.

After getting the ice in my drink and taking a few swallows I just sort of start to wander around without Warren. I stumble out into the back yard and there are two people standing around a campfire and smoking a joint. I'm starting to feel a bit tipsy and giddy.

As I'm about to leave one of them says, "Hey, don't be shy, come over and have a puff. We were just talking about Anarchy and LGBT rights." They seem cool. After all I am pansexual and I've been pretty out about it since the start of the year. Though I am supposed to be with Warren, to prove Victoria's gossip wrong. You know what, fuck it.

I approach them. They're all huddled around a fire pit, the flames are warm and bright. The one that spoke to me lifts their hood. The first thing I notice is that the girl is covered in piercings, not overly, but she has enough to look intimidating to most people. She's wearing a hoodie with a flag on it, though I can't quite see the colours, and her hair is dyed teal blue. She's actually quite cute too. The other person is barely visible in the firelight, but I can see they are wearing a leather jacket.

In total there are three of us, including me. The teal haired girl passes me the joint. I've never smoked weed, ever. But I've heard that it isn't much worse for your health than tobacco. I take a small puff and hold it. I've seen enough stoner stereotypes to know to hold it. The girl looks at me and smiles.

"Your first time?" She says. Her voice is androgynous, not unlike the way butch lesbians sound on TV. Now I'm not even sure she's a she. Regardless the alcohol is getting to me, and I start wondering what it would feel like to kiss her.

"Yeah," I say exhaling, "sorry if this is weird or something, but are you a guy or a girl." God, I probably shouldn't have asked that. I take a swallow of my drink.

She starts laughing, I don't know what's so funny. Then it hits me, and I start laughing. Its the weed. I'm not laughing at anything funny. This is weird, but I keep laughing. When we stop laughing she says, "I'm not really either." The flames of the fire begin to look like coiling snakes. Their erotic tangle distracts me.

I don't even think before it comes out of my mouth."But, like how? Are you missing your private parts."

She grins wide and says, "I'm transgender, and I'm not a guy or a girl. It's really as simple as that. Oh, and my name's Casey Blair by the way."

"Oh, cool. My sister is trans, we don't really talk anymore though, she's off somewhere in Europe. And, good to meet you Casey." I ask Casey, "Do I use 'she' or 'he' pronouns?"

"Neither actually, I use 'they, them, their'," They take a long drag on the joint and continue speaking, "cool, were your parents accepting of your sister?"

"Surprisingly my parents are lesbians, and wow are they ever not accepting of being LGB or T. I'm not even out as pansexual to them. They seem to want us both to have a 'normal TM' life." I take another swallow of my drink, the flames look muted and dull through the glass, "Isn't 'they' only plural?" I ask.

A guy with plugs in his ears and short brown hair says, "There's this misconception that 'they' pronouns are automatically plural, but they're actually both singular and plural. Lots of writers in the past have used non-gendered pronouns to describe characters."

"Oh, cool. I didn't know that." I say.

Casey points to the brown haired guy and says, "That's Jake Saffron. Like the spice."

"Ooo spicy, haha. Nice to meet you Jake. I'm Max. Like...well Maximum." I say.

He reaches out and shakes my hand. "Haha, nice to meet you as well."

Casey Passes the joint to me and says, "Sorry to hear about your parents not being accepting, I bet it's hard being in the closet."

"Yeah it is. I'm out at my school here though, so that's good. Hey Jake, are you trans?" I ask.

He laughs and says, "Casey, now you've gotten Max paranoid."

Both Casey and Jake start laughing hysterically. I don't know what's funny but I start laughing as well.

"Hey, you guys seem pretty cool. Would you mind if I added you on Facebook?" I ask.

"Yeah go ahead." Casey says.

"Sounds good to me." Jake says.

We talk for awhile about LGBT issues and weed prohibition. I agree with most of what they say, and I'm pleasantly surprised. I haven't really known people this cool since I moved from Fourport Island to Arcadia. I miss my friends there. Mostly I miss Chloe. I wish she could be here talking to these awesome people.

I look up at the sky. Dumb mistake, I see the moon again and I feel my hair stand on end. I feel like I have claws, and why is my arm so damn itchy. I excuse myself from Jake and Casey. I hide my hands in my hoodie and run to the bathroom inside the house. Only, I don't know where I'm going.

I stand in a hallway upstairs, trying not to look suspicious. I look at my right forearm and see that it is starting to sprout black hairs, each one has a greenish glow as it forms. God why here. I mean I should have known, it's been happening since I was a teenager. This is definitely not the first time. I feel like I should be on a "Teen Werewolf" show, the only difference is, I turn into a cat.. I just need to calm down, then the change will stop. I take deep breaths and slowly the feeling of phantom claws goes away. Next, the itchy feeling on my arm goes away.

I need to splash water on myself, I'm too overheated. It's like the heat that went toward my transformation was rerouted. I feel like I'm being baked on a dry savannah plain. I frantically start jiggling doorknobs and opening doors. I open a door that is slightly open and look at the floor, and it's tiled. I guess this should be the bathroom. I do a quick knock just in case. But there is no answer.

I push the door open to reveal a blonde and a girl with auburn hair and baggy skater pants. Both of them aren't wearing shirts, only their bras. The blonde girl is tall and she's kissing the other girls neck. I see the blonde girl's hand, but it only registers a second later that her nails are way longer and more pointy than normal. I can't be seeing things right, something's off. Skater girl sees me and pushes the blonde girl off of her.

"I-I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" I try to say.

The blonde turns towards me cutting me off, "Get the fuck out you pervert!", and it's Victoria. She just stares at me with these entrancingly bright green eyes. Her face is brushed with red lust. I see liquid red near the corner of her mouth and down her chin. It looks like smeared lipstick, but lipstick doesn't look like...blood? That can't be blood right? No way, I must be tripping balls, was the weed laced with LSD? Maybe smoking and drinking is making me hallucinate.

"Max!" Victoria says to me. Her voice is clear like a bell. The skater girl is pulling her shirt back on, and she looks upset.

"I-I, ha-have to-t-t..." I turn and walk away. Through the hallway, the front door, the front yard. I push my legs faster and faster. But no matter how fast I run, I can't escape the image of Victoria's blood stained face.

I lay on my sofa in my dorm. It's uncomfortable and cold, but I don't really care right now. I can't sleep, as usual. Previously inflicted self harm cuts create a shiny zig-zag pattern across my thigh. In less than a day they won't even be scars, they'll be gone, and I'll still be here. I can't believe Max saw me. She has to know what I am now. I had to remove skater girl's memories about me, but I could never do that to Max. Unless it was a choice between the vampire elders killing Max, or me wiping Max's every last memory of me. Every time I fucking give into my urges I have to do something to fix the damage. I can't help but think that the same goes for my crush on Max.

I go to browse the internet on my phone, but I notice a text message. It's from Max. _Hey, I'm sorry about earlier tonight, I can't sleep so I was wondering if you were still at the party._

Shit, she probably wants to know why my face was covered in blood. She fucking knows. On the up side, at least she knows I'm interested in girls. Victoria, that's just stupid, you think Max would be interested in you after what she saw. I text her back, _No, I'm back in my dorm. Why?_

After awhile I hear a knock at my door. I try to get up without falling, but I stumble into the table and bruise my shin. "Fuck, ouch. Yeah, I'll be right there." I say. I'm still drunk, great. Try not to say something stupid Victoria. I open the door, it's just a sleepy looking Max in pink animal print Pjs. She's so shameless I could kiss her. I smell wet cat and fresh rain on dirt. A dizzying mix of two very different smells. Weird, maybe she was petting a stray cat or something. It didn't rain tonight though. It just doesn't add up.

Max yawns, "Um, hi, I was wondering if you might want to hang out and talk about stuff...and things." She crosses her arms and looks down. I wonder what it would feel like to touch her chin, lift her face to mine. No, stop Victoria.

"Sure, come in." I say. The irony, a half vampire inviting a human into her room.

Max walks over to the couch and she's about to sit down when I interject, "That's not exactly the most comfortable couch," She stops and looks over at me, she looks sleepy, "you can sit on my bed, if you're okay with that."

"Thanks Victoria." Max sits down on my bed, she looks oddly comfortable. Like most people would feel weird about sitting on someone's bed but not her. I feel my pulse rise, which is not normal. Most of the time my pulse is a slow rhythm, much slower than any human's heart. I'm getting too flustered about the fact that she feels comfortable on my bed. It's stupid really. It's not like she even likes me. I sit down next to her. How could she like something like me.

"How much did you see?" I ask, hoping that she's in at least as much denial about my guilt as a bloodsucker as she is about Warren's shitty bragging.

"I saw you," she pauses and looks as though she's trying to remember, "you were kissing that girls neck." She must be holding back, maybe she doesn't want to say because she's afraid of me.

"And you didn't see anything else?" I say. Maybe if she didn't see the blood on my face, then I won't have to alter her memories.

"No, I just came in and saw you two kissing." Max yawns and covers her mouth.

Thank the gods, she didn't see the blood on my mouth. "So, I guess you know now that I'm into girls."

"Yeah, I could tell since the start of the school year. Just the way you look at girls, especially the really cute ones." Max laughs.

I give her a serious look. "Don't ever tell anyone about me liking girls, okay?"

"Okay. Just tell me something honestly. A secret only you know." Max says, she sits up more as though interested in what I might say.

I obviously can't tell her about being a half vampire. I can't really admit to liking her, she might not even like me. After all I'm such a bitch to everyone. It isn't really my fault, I have to be. "I, um, have this crush on a cute girl. But I'm not sure if she likes me."

"That's a good one. Maybe I can help, tell me more about her." Max says. I pick up from her energy that she really doesn't know I'm trying to flirt. She's so oblivious.

"Well, she's in my photography class. She's really cute, and I don't think she would ever be interested in someone like me." I say. My heartbeat stays at it's quickened rhythm, like a person skipping rope.

"Why is that? Maybe I can tell you if she likes you. I might know her. After all I am in the same photography class as you." Max looks so adorable in her Pjs, her hair looks like she hasn't brushed it. She's awkwardly rubbing her hand in a weird pattern.

"Max, I like you." I say point blank. I can't keep skirting the inevitable. I need to know and it's eating me up inside.

"Well I gues-" Max pauses and looks dumbfounded. I put my hand palm up on the bed next to her. She starts to trace patterns on my hand. I can feel her pulse. "You're really cold." she says. Her emotions are clear, I can sense her feelings for me.

"I know." That's when I clutch her hand gently and kiss her fast and very firm. She moans lightly and kisses me back. She reaches around me and hugs me tightly, her hands clutch the back of my Pjs. I pull away and feel lightheaded.

Max looks at me with her grey blue eyes, tinted from the moonlight. Her hair is tousled and tossed. A gestalt mess of beauty. I say, "Max."

She looks at me. Her eyes move scanning my face, like she's seeing me for the first time. "Tori."

"Is it okay if I sleep over tonight? I feel safe here." Max says. She looks so comfortable in my bed. It's weird to think that everything has changed at once. It's like the epiphany of my life. Me and her, we just make sense together.

"Yeah, it would be more than okay." I say.

We sit together and Max keeps tracing the same patterns on my hand. She gets up to pull the covers of my bed back, and slides in between the sheets. I take the outside of the bed, and slide in next to her.

I feel her hand on my arm. I reach over and stroke it with the same pattern. Then she says, "It's okay, you can come closer to warm up." I wish I could tell her that I don't need to get warm, even though I really want to cuddle with her. We overlap legs. I worry that the closer we get, the more likely I'll crush her emotions. There are just things I can't ever tell her, about me, about my past, and about Chloe Price.

"Why did you comfort me when Chloe got shot?" Max asks.

Everything at night feels between realms. Like nothing is completely real. I feel like I could tell her anything. "Because I had a friend who died. So I understand. Sometimes you just need someone to hold you. Someone to help you realize that you are solid, and that you are still here." I say. Max squeezes me tighter, I try to keep at least some distance from her.

"Why do you even like me?" I ask her. The silence in the room is airy. Expectant and pregnant with want of an answer.

"Because I feel like there is more to you Tori. A kindness beneath the act that you put on. You hurt just like I do. And I feel safe when I'm with you." Max says.

I can't believe she just called me Tori. No one has ever called me that. I move in slowly and kiss her on the cheek. Max kisses me back, only right on my lips. Her breath smells like tequila and weed, but I don't care because it's Max. Our lips meld and press together. I can hear her heartbeat, I can smell her blood. I pull away, I want this moment to be about her, not about blood. She looks afraid, like maybe she did something wrong. I need to say something quick, I don't want to see her like this.

"Okay. I'm going to be honest, just don't say anything until I'm done." I pause and Max just nods and looks confused, "Max, I like you because you just have this optimism about people. Mostly because you are you. I have to pretend to be Victoria Chase everyday. Can you put up with me being like that in public?"

Max gives me these cute pussycat eyes, "Yes, I can.", and a tear slides down her face; she's smiling. I hold her tighter, I feel warm, and loved.


End file.
